Reducing Socioeconomic Disparities in Health at Pediatric Visits

The WE CARE survey, consists of 14 questions used to identify seven unmet material needs (education, employment, food security, housing, childcare, household heat, language). The survey will be administered with patient's developmental screening forms at all health supervision visits from birth to two years of age. The office staff will instruct parents to give the WE CARE survey, along with the developmental screening tool, to their child's provider at the visit.

Providers will be trained to review the WE CARE survey at health supervision visits and generate referrals thru the EMR. Specifically, they will receive a one-hour teaching session one week prior to the study implementation. The goals for the session will include providing an overview of pediatric practice guidelines, introducing the WE CARE survey, reviewing the referral process, and discussing the role of peer patient navigators. Study staff will conduct periodic booster sessions; study staff will also train new providers should there be staff turnover

The peer patient navigator will offer guidance to families with accessing community resources. They will be available at least .5 days per week at intervention health centers to meet with families and offer guidance as well as be available via a hotline number. The navigator will speak with families and offer guidance on community resources and offer assistance with completing applications. In addition, they will offer to schedule and, if desired, accompany parents to the agencies. Interpreter services will be utilized at the health centers in case the navigator does not speak the parent's language. The navigator will also place an update note in the EMR within 1-month post-visit and one week after any contact with families.